← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 1 - Shedeur Sanders is not being setup to fail, Caleb Williams feeling the pressure from Ben Johnson
00:41:39
Loading summary
Transcript107 lines
- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast American public.
- [00:05]
Jason McIntyre
University where service members like you can access high quality, affordable education built for your lifestyle. With online programs that fit around deployments, training and unpredictable schedules, APU makes it possible to earn your degree no matter where duty takes you. Their preferred military rate keeps tuition at just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's tuition, and with 24. 7 mental health support plus career coaching and other services, APU is committed to your success during and after your service. Learn more @apu apus edumilitary that's apu apus edumilitary. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle.
- [01:22]
Colin Cowherd
It's easy.
- [01:23]
Jason McIntyre
No more gas stations. The way forward is electric.
- [01:26]
Colin Cowherd
Learn more@electric for all.org why are TSA rules so confusing? You got a hoodie on? Take it off. I'm Manny. I'm Noah, this is Devin, and we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called no Such Thing, where we get to the bottom of questions like that. Why are you screaming at me? I can't expect what to do now if the rule was the same, Go off on me. I deserve it, you know, Lock him up. Listen to no Such thing on the iHeartRadio Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. No Such Thing. Have you ever looked at a piece of abstract art or music or poetry and thought that's just a bunch of pretentious nonsense? That's exactly what two bored Australian soldiers.
- [02:09]
Devin McIntyre
Set out to prove during World War.
- [02:11]
Colin Cowherd
II when they tricked the literary world with their intentionally bad poetry, setting off a major scandal. We break down the truth, the lies, and the poetry in between on Hoax, a new podcast hosted by me, Lizzy Logan and me, Dana Schwartz.
- [02:24]
Devin McIntyre
Every episode, Hoax explores an audacious fraud.
- [02:27]
Lizzy Logan
Or ruse from history.
- [02:29]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to Hoax on the iHeartRadio app.
- [02:31]
Devin McIntyre
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:35]
Colin Cowherd
Thanks for listening to the Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon.
- [02:41]
Jason McIntyre
To 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.
- [02:44]
Colin Cowherd
Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com.
- [02:48]
Jason McIntyre
Or stream us live every day on.
- [02:50]
Colin Cowherd
The iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Wednesday and we are live in August in living color, ready to roll. A lot of things happening today. Joe Thomas stops by. Weigh in on Shador Sanders, who's getting start Friday against Caroline. I'll get to that in a second. Philip Rivers is stopping by the show as well. One of the great trash talkers of all time. Many, many subscribe to the belief he is a Hall of Famer. Some do, some don't. But an interesting guy he'll be joining us. Shamac I don't like to lecture the American sports media, but I've said this before. In politics there's a lot of conspiracy theories and I'm hoping that in our business sports try to stay away from those. But there's one that's dangling out there that is patently absurd right now and here it is. So Shador Sanders, Kevin Stefanski, they've had all sorts of quarterback injuries. He's going to start Friday and he's only had one. He'll only have one practice with the ones and he's going to start. And this is now being called sabotage. And this is not just like crazy Internet dweeb, it's like network people. It's sabotage. Cleveland doesn't want him to succeed. Okay, let's start with this. Josh Dobbs was acquired by the Minnesota Vikings and had to start and did not get a single practice. Remember that game? Three touchdowns, no picks, 102 passer rating, completed 66% of his throws, didn't know the playbook. Teammates, coordinator, coach, didn't get a practice, won a game. Baker Mayfield were frenemies now. Baker Mayfield came to the Rams on a Tuesday, had to play Thursday against the Raiders. 98 yard, fourth quarter, game winning drive with a single practice in the highly sophisticated Sean McVay offense. A timing offense, a rhythm offense, one practice. Shador Sanders has been with the Browns through OTAs, rookie mini camp and training camp. He knows the playbook, the head coach, the coordinator and his teammates. And because he only gets one practice with the ones, it's sabotage. You've got to be kidding me. Stop pandering. Stop protecting media. The great ones would consider this an amazing opportunity and he probably does. But we got to stop this. If I was Kevin Stefanski and they're, they're hemorrhaging quarterbacks because of injuries and we don't need to see Joe Flacco. The last thing we need to see is Joe Flacco. I would make an argument. Well, rich dad, famous dad, let's give him a little turbulence. Let's give him a little challenge here. So if Kevin Stefanski and I don't think that's the reason they're doing it, but I could absolutely see a coach saying famous, rich. I mean, wasn't it. Wasn't it Shedeur, who called himself legendary in the draft room? Let's see if he is. But the idea at some level of sabotage, maybe Kevin wants to just see what his speed limit is. The other part of this that's ridiculous is how many reps to first team guys play in the preseason. He's going to end up playing with twos, threes and fours, which is what he's practicing with Cleveland. And there's not. If you look at Cleveland's wide receiving core, they're not a big gap between the ones, twos, threes and fours. It's one of the worst receiving cores in the league, and they're dealing with massive injuries at quarterback. So there's absolutely no value in screwing over Shador Sanders. He may not be the future, but the perfect scenario actually is he plays kind of well, establishes himself as a backup. You move off Kenny Pickett, get a draft pick, probably a fifth or sixth, seventh rounder, and then at the end of the year, because he's shown himself to be a capable backup, you get another sixth, seventh round pick for Jadour, and that gives you more picks to get Arch Manning or Drew Aller or the Nussmeier kid at lsu. That's all Cleveland's doing this year. They know they're not good. They would love Shador Sanders. I mean, would there be a better story for Cleveland if you said perfect scenario? Well, perfect scenario is getting Arch Manning next year. But to get him, you'll need extra picks. The perfect scenario to get you some help out from under that awful desean Watson contract is Shador is good this year and Arch Manning is great next year. You're home free. That's what Denver did with Bo Nix. Oh, the Russell Wilson dead cap money. Oh, Bo Nix is good and he's mostly free. So the idea, I mean, first of all, sabotage, is Kevin Stefanski is trying to retain his job. The owner, I don't know if you've noticed, is a little impulsive in Cleveland, right? There's Nick Saban, Rumors there's a connection between the Mannings and Saban and Jimmy Haslam and Jimmy Sexton. So this is just a ridiculous story. I mean I'm not a huge fan of Brock Purdy but Brock Purdy was third string and then Trey Lance wasn't good quickly he was second. Then Garoppolo gets hurt in a game and he's thrust into the starting role mid game. He had no reps with a one couple 10 days earlier. He's a three and he took advantage of it. That's what the great athletes do. They have a level of arrogance and belief that they look at this as an opportunity and I think Shedeur probably does. But. But the idea that this is like gaining steam multiple day trending well, you know, they don't want to see him succeed. It's Cleveland, the world's best scenario. He looks great against Carolina. They can move Kenny Pickett, get a six round pick and then move Shador next year and get another one. They need as many picks as they can. If they win five games, have the number two pick to give up the house to get arcs manning. Here's Kevin Stefanski on Shador. The situation in the start coming up, we'll play Shador at quarterback. We just signed Snoop Huntley as you guys saw. We'll see. Get Snoop back up to speed. My expectations for Shador are no different than the rest of the guys. Honestly Mary Kay, we expect them to go operate. It's when you get in these preseason games you try to keep it very simple so guys can play fast. All concepts that our players know and can kind of not think too much and just play ball. Yeah. Josh Dobbs. No practices. Baker Mayfield won in by the way. McVeigh's system and Kevin O' Connell system. Those are complex system. No practice. One practice. And Baker and Josh Dobbs saw it as an unbelievable opportunity and both crushed. Okay, so I'm just doing basically daily updates on Caleb Williams. So whenever I see the word sloppy it's always like well, it's sloppy. A lack of focus, a lack of effort. So Ben Johnson said he was saying Sunday after Caleb Williams performance, he said, you know, we're sloppier than I'd want to be at this point. We had a couple good practices. We had a step back. I just, I. We're not where we want to be at this point. Okay, okay, okay, fine. Okay, okay, fine. But did you hear what he said about Caleb Williams backup Tyson Padgett, man, he's been, he's been phenomenal. I mean he's smart as a whip.
- [10:53]
Devin McIntyre
Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he.
- [10:57]
Colin Cowherd
Brings every time he Walks into a room, you know, meeting room, walkthrough, it doesn't matter.
- [11:01]
Devin McIntyre
He's locked in, he's focused, he's preparing the right way.
- [11:04]
Colin Cowherd
And I couldn't be more thrilled that he's here with us. Tyson Bajan. Okay, so now just think about that. Coaches with young quarterbacks tend to be very careful with their words, very intentional. He's serious, he's focused, he's locked in. Smart as a whip. The other guy is sloppy. I'm sorry if a director of a film says right now our lead actor, you've got to be patient. But boy, I'll tell you, the supporting cast, whoo, they are locked in and focused, that's insinuating the lead isn't locked in. I don't know, it's something. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to connect these dots, right? I think it's, I think we have to be honest about this. Ben Johnson has worked with the number one pick before Jared Goff, and he's now worked with undrafted quarterback Tyson Beige. Okay? So he's got, you know, the variables of what he's worked with are pretty wide. So he's seen gifted and he's seen hardworking. And now I read something recently which I thought was an interesting take and sorry for not giving it credit, but it was an interesting take. Somebody said that Ben Johnson and Caleb was always going to be a little rough because Ben Johnson, like a Kyle Shanahan, has a precise precision based offense. Jared Goff was second in NFL completion percentage last season. Here's the play. Follow the play. Follow my scheme. Distribute the ball accurately. That's Ben Johnson. That's what Kyle Shanahan loves. That's what Kyle Shanahan loves. Okay? And Caleb's the opposite of that stylistically. So there is an argument out there that these two, what Ben has coached so far is actually more Shanahan esque, more, more schematic based. Follow the play. You can ad lib a little. But by the way, Sean Payton, he wants you to run his play and that's not really Caleb's style. So that the two are not an ideal fit. That does not mean they can't work. But I, but I do think, let's be honest, if this thing is ugly, Ben Johnson came to Chicago with a prenup. He's going to win this divorce, okay? He's, he's the boy genius. He multiple teams interested. Caleb's already had a bad year. If he struggled with a second coaching staff, you start pointing at the quarterback so it's just. I don't know. It's not that big of a deal that, you know, Caleb was a little sloppy. Okay. But the other guy, boy, is he locked in. Kind of felt intentional, like he was trying to say something. But again, I don't want to be out here throwing heaters, J. Mac. That's not what I do. I'm not out here to ruffle feathers. But it. It was kind of, you know, it's a little over the top. Locked in, prepared, focused, smart as a whip. That's a little. Wouldn't you have just thought of, like, I'm not going to go overboard in the backup. Be like, hey, he's. He's a hustler. He's going to be a great backup for us. He is. He is doing a great job. A little intentional in the wording.
- [14:23]
Devin McIntyre
I think he's sending a message pretty clearly, right? I mean, that's. That's the goal here. We got to get Caleb up to speed. He's sloppy. It's not working. Let me ask you, Colin. We brought up the whole, will Caleb bench this year?
- [14:33]
Colin Cowherd
I'm gonna.
- [14:33]
Devin McIntyre
I'm gonna fast track it. Will he be benched once before Halloween? So we're talking first eight weeks of the season. Will Ben be so fed up, he's like, caleb, I'm pulling you.
- [14:44]
Colin Cowherd
I. I don't know. I'm not gonna bet that I.
- [14:47]
Devin McIntyre
You're afraid, huh? Because you think you could.
- [14:49]
Colin Cowherd
Actually, no, I just think I. I think what I've read in recent days, and I think it's a fair take, is that Caleb style, and he got into some really bad habits, as we've discussed, his second year at usc, because he didn't trust the O line. They got blown out at Notre Dame. Lincoln Riley didn't want to get him hurt. Lincoln didn't trust the O line. Caleb didn't trust the O line. He got into really bad habits of hero ball. Got really bad. His. His tape was probably better the year before, even though he was a year younger than the second year when he started playing hero ball. And when you do hero ball, your mechanics struggle. And then last year's staff wasn't capable enough to correct that stuff. I think Ben Johnson is and is holding him accountable. But I do think it's interesting, the wording used for the backup, Tyson Bajan. I just think the wording was fairly intentional. Yeah.
- [15:37]
Devin McIntyre
Colin. I will note we're now on two straight seasons, as you just noted, of hero ball and bad football from Caleb Williams. He was Bad in his final year at usc, we would agree. And he was not good last year as a rookie. So that's two straight football seasons of subpar football.
- [15:55]
Colin Cowherd
I, I think, I think, you know, Ben Johnson, nickname should be the Janitor. He's just trying to clean stuff off in Chicago. He's trying to clean up the culture. He's trying to clean up the offense. He's trying to clean up the offensive line. He's trying to clean up Caleb Williams. This, this, this is a heavy lift that he's got a lot of stuff to clean up.
- [16:16]
Devin McIntyre
Could take a year.
- [16:17]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. And by the way, Vrabel does in New England as well. But Vrabel's got a quarterback that looked pretty good. They had $300 million they spent on free agency, so Vrabel's got to clean some stuff up. But that franchise has a history with that ownership of winning a lot of big games. But Chicago's not winning big games. They don't have the culture. They can't get the old line right. They can't get quarterback right now. They've got Caleb. There's some urgency issues. So there's a. This is not an easy. Matt LaFleur taken over for Mike McCarthy and trying to get on Aaron Rodgers good side. That was a pretty easy lift. That was a pretty. I mean, you got to get on Aaron's good. So Aaron was closer to his prime. Aaron just wanted a new guy. Generationally, they were closer in age. Chicago is a big lift. This is not an easy job.
- [17:04]
Devin McIntyre
Remember, Drake May was not brought in to save the Patriots. He was not a generational talent. Caleb Williams has to do both of those things. People were asking, would Caleb be the greatest quarterback in franchise history? Nobody said that about. Nobody saying that about. There's no pressure on Drake May. Like I do think Caleb is going to start to feel the weight of what's going on in Chicago.
- [17:23]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, no, I do think this is. And it's also Chicago. It's a big, loud market, you know, rival with the Packers. It's a big, big lift. I mean, nobody thought Bo Nix is going to be John Elway. Nobody thinks he's Peyton Manning. Sean Payton just wants him to be as close to Drew Brees as he can get to get this organization winning again. So Bo Nix doesn't have a lot of pressure. Washington was a dumpster fire during Daniel Snyder's ownership. There wasn't a huge pressure on him. Drake May isn't viewed as Brady, so. And even Michael Pennix, when you drop, you know, when you go to Atlanta, how much pressure is it? You could argue it's an SEC market as much as an NFL market. You could argue there is there is heat on Caleb Williams.
- [18:05]
Devin McIntyre
JJ McCarthy probably has the same second most pressure from that class given that they won 14 games with Darnold last year.
- [18:12]
Colin Cowherd
Yes, that's fair. I would say that that's totally fair. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and.
- [18:22]
Devin McIntyre
The iHeartRadio app hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports podcast, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day, Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guesses. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [18:57]
Lizzy Logan
Life's messy. We're talking smart spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about messes again. At WashablesOfAs.com, discover Annabe sofas, the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, Our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
- [19:56]
Jason McIntyre
American Public University where service members like you can access high quality, affordable education built for your lifestyle. With online programs that fit around deployments, training and unpredictable schedules, APU makes it possible to earn your degree no matter where duty takes you. Their preferred military rate keeps tuition at just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's tuition and with 24. 7 mental health support plus career coaching and other services, APU is committed to your success during and after your service. Learn more @apu apus edumilitary that's apu apus edumilitary. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org hey folks, this message brought to you by the one and only official Whiskey of the herd with Colin Coward. Green River Whiskey. Now here's a story that'll knock your socks off.
- [21:30]
Colin Cowherd
Picture this.
- [21:31]
Jason McIntyre
Founded way back in 1885, Green River Whiskey is OG Kentucky cool. The 10th oldest distillery in the state. And get this, it was so valuable back in the day that 20 barrels of the good stuff were traded for shares in a gold. That's liquid gold, literally. But like any great drama, tragedy struck in 1917 with a fire that almost wiped it off the map. Cue the hero music. It was rebuilt on the same hallowed grounds. Let me tell you, better than ever. So whether you're sipping their single barrel bourbon or a smooth straight rye, know you're raising a glass to history. Folks, here's to Green River Whiskey, where rich flavor meets richer stories. Hop on over to greenriverwhisky.com Discover a legend in a bottle today.
- [22:12]
Colin Cowherd
Cheers to that.
- [22:13]
Jason McIntyre
A product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Green RiverWhiskey.com Please drink responsibly.
- [22:22]
Colin Cowherd
You know, I've talked about this before and it just. It's the way our brains usually work. The more beautiful or aesthetically pleasing something is, film, art, sports, the greater stature we hold it in. A great example is Larry Bird had a beautiful game. The three point shots, the clever passing. I mean, who doesn't love watching old Larry Bird highlights? You watch old Tim Duncan highlights. Magic bird. M.J. Dr. J. Aesthetically pleasing. We think of them so fondly. Tim Duncan. There's an argument was, you know, is better than all of them. There's an argument, but it wasn't pleasing. I always said this about Brady. Brady retires. Brady wasn't beautiful to watch. He was smart, he was efficient. He got rid of the ball quickly. The minute he retires, five minutes later, Mahomes is better. It's like, no, Tom. They played a couple times, like in a Super bowl, in a big AFC showdown in the playoffs. Tom won both of them. Yeah. In Kansas City, Super Bowl. Yeah Tom won both and has more trophies and is the greatest quarterback of all time. But the minute Tom's out, oh my homes because Mahomes game he's throwing left handed the sidearm stuff. It's a beautifully aesthetically pleasing game. And I've always said it's hard with athletes like that when they get old. Like with Brady, like at 44 he felt like he was 34 because he was still smart, still efficient, still got rid of it quickly and and but like with Aaron Rodgers, his resume is how you view him, not his reality. So there is another story out of Pittsburgh. Christopher Barbrey of SteelerNation.com raising red flags on Aaron's training camp. It sounds so much like the Jets. Not enough balls down the field, too many short passes and checks, now check downs and he doesn't trust a number two receiver yet. That's the Jets. Here's the thing, you're not into reality with Aaron because he's so beautiful to watch throw the ball. It's Marino and Aaron throw the prettiest ball ever. Peyton Manning doesn't, Tom Brady doesn't. And so you're all into the resume. You have such fond memories and not the reality. Do you know that since 2022, Aaron's last year in Green Bay he has fewer big plays downfield than Derek Carr? You think of Derek Carr, you're a ding dunk guy. But Derek's not beautiful to watch. Aaron is. And so this is what I've said about this team. Aaron's 41 year old guy, he didn't want to get hit. He didn't trust the Jets O line he got rid of it. He doesn't trust the Steelers O line. He shouldn't pff this morning had the Steelers O line under the Jets O line last year and going into this season he doesn't trust them and he shouldn't. Defensive head coaches can struggle with O lines. Robert Salah like him. Mike Tomlin like him O lines can't figure it out. McVay figures it out in an offseason. So does Andy Reid, so does Sean Payton. Sean Payton fixed the Denver o line in four months and so 41 year old wealthy quarterbacks, there are certain things that are true. They don't want to get hit. And 61 year old rich guys, there are things that are true. They don't want to change their oil, they don't want to go to the dmv. They don't want to sit in coach on a plane. There are just truths about as you age. If you are financially comfortable, Aaron, you don't want to get hit. And DK Metcalf is their only proven star receiver. So your teams are going to roll the coverage over and say, beat us with Scotty Miller, beat us with a run game. Trust your offensive line. Sit in the pocket. Like you can see what's going to happen here. So as I've said before, it's not right now the Steelers defense, which is good. It's not great. Let's not kid ourselves. It's not Philadelphia last year. It's not that good. It's good. Tomlin's good at it. It's not that good is dominating Aaron in practice. And I think a lot of this is Aaron's rich 41 close to the end, and he doesn't want to. He doesn't trust that offensive line. You're not going to sit in there for an extra second, an extra beat. I don't blame him. Here's Tomlin on the Steelers offense. I just think it's usual for this time of year. Defenses usually develop a little faster than offenses. They get to know the cohesion that's.
- [26:58]
Devin McIntyre
Required to be good.
- [27:00]
Colin Cowherd
It's just a component of it. And so no alarm bells there. Okay? He's right. For the record. Defense, which is more about playing fast and blowing stuff up. It's, it's, you know, they talk about this in baseball, like pitching can be ahead of hitting or vice versa. Defense is usually ahead of offense. It's not in Cincinnati, by the way, with Joe Burrow, according to reports, but that's some of it. But I think the bigger picture is the reality of a 41 year old who. Who's recently had a big surgery with an old line he doesn't trust. I would be the same way as Aaron Rodgers. I'm not sitting in there for an extra second. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.
- [27:45]
Devin McIntyre
This is the Herdline news. All right, Colin, let's get started with the Buffalo Bills. My pick to win the super bowl this year, just keeping that out there. Well, their nemesis in the postseason has been the Kansas City Chiefs, who have eliminated them in the postseason four of the last five years. Bill GM Brandon Dean says he can't focus on the past. He told the media, we just have to keep moving forward to try to keep there. It's a play here or a play there. We're close, but we can't just prepare the team to beat the Chiefs. There are a lot of good teams in the afc. I don't think we're far away. We just have to make a stop here or there. We haven't made the stop we needed. We feel like we've upgraded our defense for that reason. We got to get key stops.
- [28:30]
Colin Cowherd
Hard knocks, by the way. Buffalo Bills hard knocks. Josh Allen's impossible not to like. Here's an interesting stat. Since 2018, Josh Allen has accounted for the most total touchdowns in the league. 262 to Mahomes, 259. So I, I think with Josh Allen, we can't hold his career to just, well, he doesn't have a bunch of trophies. He is an all time player. He is an all time talent. Do you believe. And this is not a shot at Sean McDermott who is more than capable. He is more than capable. If Josh got Reed and Mahomes got McDermott, you think Josh would have one? I do. Not saying he'd have as many, but he'd have one. So we have to contextualize all these quarterbacks. It is an advantage to get Andy Reed or for Bo Nix to get Sean Payton. It's absolutely an advantage. And I love Bo. Nick. But do I think he would have done as well if he went to Atlanta? Raheem Morris? No, I don't. So it's, I, when I look at Josh, I'm like, I know. I don't really care. I've never been a big stats guy. I don't really care. He's one of the three most talented quarterbacks in my entire life of watching football. That's how good I think he is.
- [29:47]
Devin McIntyre
Well, I mean, so Dan Marino goes and gets Shula and you're like, oh.
- [29:51]
Colin Cowherd
That'S a great pairing.
- [29:52]
Devin McIntyre
That's a great. They still couldn't break through. You know, Josh has to. I, I, I'm not blaming the coach for all this. Some of them in the past, like last year, Colin, remember the playoff lost to the Chiefs. They kept doing the, the brotherly shove, tush push. It wasn't working. That's bad coaching, right? It's not working. You hadn't prepped it.
- [30:09]
Colin Cowherd
What do you. I felt like, I felt like they were ad libbing in a playoff game. We said it on the air. They did not. Tom Brady was the best. Before the tush push, Tom Brady, obsessed with preparation, was unbelievable on fourth down, Josh Allen looked like they were winging it. And so, yeah. And again, this is not a knock. I think I like the owner of the Bills. I like the gm, I like the coach. I love the quarterback. But I do feel like we got it. We got to be honest about this, who your coach is as a quarterback matter. Go look at John Elway. He got Mike Shanahan. They started winning Super Bowls. That's not to say that Dan Reaves wasn't a good coach. Mike Shanahan was a better fit as a coach.
- [30:51]
Devin McIntyre
It could be, Colin, that against the Chiefs in January, everybody gets in their head a little bit too much. Remember the Ravens who had, I think, a top five running game two years ago?
- [31:02]
Colin Cowherd
Stop running.
- [31:03]
Devin McIntyre
And they wanted. Their game plan was let's throw the football. And it was mystifying. I think the running backs had like four carries. Some ridiculous number.
- [31:11]
Colin Cowherd
No, there's. There's no question. Teams went into Foxborough and Brady's prime and they melted like they. They made mistakes they didn't normally make. There were many times I felt New England wasn't as talented as the Baltimore Ravens team they played in the playoffs. Yeah. How about Kyle Shanahan?
- [31:27]
Devin McIntyre
Kyle Shanahan up 10 in the fourth quarter of the super bowl and just gag it away against the Chiefs back in Miami. Pre Covid. Let's go to the next story. It's the Dallas Cowboys. Colin, Jerry and Micah's war of words continues. Yesterday at camp, Jerry started telling a story about when he bought the team and how the deal down. Taking a shot at his star pass rusher in the meantime. Take a listen.
- [31:51]
Colin Cowherd
I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake, took about 30 seconds and gave the number, shook hands. The details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money, and we had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental. I'm buying and you're going to sell it to me for that range. That's done. And those are done with eye contact and handshake. In the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties. Do we have a contract in writing yet? We're still talking about renegotiating it.
- [32:32]
Devin McIntyre
Colin, there's a report on the Internet that when Jerry bought the Cowboys, he took a horse and buggy to the meeting when he had that handshake deal. Things have changed a little bit in the ensuing, I don't know, 87 years.
- [32:44]
Colin Cowherd
No, let me just say.
- [32:46]
Devin McIntyre
You're not defending Jerry.
- [32:49]
Colin Cowherd
No, not. I'm just saying if in fact they did have an agreement and they said, I mean, I've done this before. I'm not going to get into my stuff. But I've done this before where I've. I've talked to somebody over the phone or I've met him and said, listen, here's the number. Here's the years you want to do it. And then. And I. And we don't. Nobody backs down. I've never had a boss back down. If they agreed in a meeting. So if they did agree that you should have ethical values when it comes to that stuff. Not everything has to be done. If you. And if they had a meeting or if they sat down and went. Year's number guarantee, and there were. And they made eye contact and shake hands. In my life, anytime I've agreed to somebody in person, Nobody's ever backed out, and I certainly haven't.
- [33:33]
Devin McIntyre
That's not fair, Colin, Because Micah Parsons is not well versed in contracts and the market. That's not his job. His job is to play football. He can't go into a meeting and make some handshake deal on his contract with Jerry Jones, who's been negotiating contracts for decades. That's not right to me. Isn't Jerry trying to take advantage of his guy, Micah?
- [33:54]
Colin Cowherd
Well, of course. Management always is, so that's wrong.
- [33:58]
Devin McIntyre
So you're siding with that. You're siding with management.
- [34:00]
Colin Cowherd
Taking it. Taking advantage is a little strong, But I think, you know, management. Jerry wants to meet you in person. He doesn't want the agent. Management always wants to meet you in person. They don't want to deal with the agent. I mean, that's the way it always works in every industry.
- [34:16]
Devin McIntyre
I cannot believe that you're even a little bit thinking Jerry's in the. Okay.
- [34:21]
Colin Cowherd
No, I'm not. I'm saying I don't know what happened. If they met eye contact, talked and agreed on something, I think that holds. But, you know, Jerry wants to, for the record, talk to the player individually and not the agent because he feels he can get a better deal. I've seen that happen a lot in a lot of businesses, I'll say that.
- [34:42]
Devin McIntyre
So he's trying to take advantage of his start.
- [34:46]
Colin Cowherd
Let me tell you something. Billionaires are always trying to take advantage of millionaires. That's just the way it works.
- [34:51]
Devin McIntyre
All right, you fight for the billionaires, buddy. I will back the little people. I will be a defender of the little guy like Michael Parsons, who's gonna make $40 million a year. Anyways, let's go to the final story. Colin and. Oh, the New York giants, the g men. Oh, Malik neighbors was a stud as a rookie. Well, guess what? Russell Wilson is really vibing with his star wide receiver. Brian daboll says the Veteran quarterback has been a huge help to the young fella.
- [35:22]
Colin Cowherd
I think he's had a very positive impact on the league. They have good relationship. They spend a lot of time in the meeting room and then they spend time outside. Just in terms of body maintenance, how Russ takes care of his body, the things he's done to have a long career. Lee's kind of grab hold of that, asks a lot of questions, is very involved. I'm talking about Malik in the meetings. Communicative. I think the biggest obstacle for the Giants is that schedule in the first six weeks. I've never seen it is easily the toughest schedule in the league in the first six to seven weeks. It's brutal.
- [36:02]
Devin McIntyre
Yeah.
- [36:03]
Colin Cowherd
So even if they played well and executed, they could go.06. It's tough.
- [36:08]
Devin McIntyre
So I know you're a big fantasy football guy. Neighbors was a beast last year and I know nobody watches the Giants because they're garbage. But I'm just telling you, if Neighbors can be to like Pickens was for Russ last year, they could start fairly well. Those two will have a connection. And the run game was kind of good with the young kid, I believe from Purdue. Tracy. That was solid. They just don't have enough good players and I think Brian Dable is a dead man walking.
- [36:36]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, tough schedule. It's. They're not without talent. Left tackle, receiver, offensive coach. I think they upgraded their O line, pass rushers, Dexter Lawrence. They've got players they're not without talent. Don't have a court in that well. And also Philadelphia's got the best roster in the league and they play him twice in division. So I mean a lot of it is in. Washington's a totally different franchise. So I. The Giants are not without talent that they. They've got some. If they get a great quarterback in a draft, then it's. I don't think they're that far off there. There are a couple of teams. The Giants are one of them. To me, if they got a great quarterback, you'd look up and go that's a viable team. I really do. I believe that. I think they're. I don't think they're that far away. J. Mac with the news.
- [37:22]
Devin McIntyre
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by.
- [37:24]
Colin Cowherd
The Herd line news you have worked so hard to get now has some equity now that you purchased it. That's the part of the home you actually own and not the bank. How do you turn that equity into cash? Go to RocketMortgage.com today. RocketMortgage Mortgage LLC. Licensed in all 50 states. Rocket Mortgage Be sure to catch live editions of the herd Weekdays at noon.
- [37:52]
Devin McIntyre
Eastern, 9am Pacific life's messy we're talking.
- [37:57]
Lizzy Logan
Spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about Messes again. @washablesofas.com Discover Annabelle Anabe sofas the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus, they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
- [38:54]
Jason McIntyre
American Public University where service members like you can access high quality, affordable education built for your lifestyle. With online programs that fit around deployments, training and unpredictable schedules, APU makes it possible to earn your degree no matter where duty takes you. Their preferred military rate keeps tuition at just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's tuition. And with 24. 7 mental health support plus career coaching and other services, APU is committed to your success during and after your service. Learn more at Apu Apus Edumilitary. That's Apu Apus Edu Military Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more at lectric for all.org hey folks, this message brought to you by the one and only Official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward Green River Whiskey now here's a story that'll knock your socks off.
- [40:28]
Colin Cowherd
Picture this.
- [40:28]
Jason McIntyre
Founded way back in 1885, Green River Whiskey is OG Kentucky Cool, the 10th oldest distillery in the state. And get this, it was so valuable back in the day that 20 barrels of the good stuff were traded for shares in a gold mine. That's liquid gold, literally. But like any great drama, tragedy struck in 1917 with a fire that almost wiped it off the map. Cue the hero music. It was rebuilt on the same hallowed grounds, let me tell you, better than ever. So whether you're sipping their single barrel bourbon or a smooth straight rye, know you're raising a glass to history, folks. Here's to Green River Whiskey, where rich flavor meets richer stories. Hop on over to greenriverwhiskey.com, discover a legend in a bottle today.
- [41:10]
Colin Cowherd
Cheers to that.
- [41:10]
Jason McIntyre
A product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume, varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com Please drink responsibly tonight.
- [41:19]
Devin McIntyre
Christian Yelich and the NL Central leading brewers take on the Braves starting at 7:00pm Eastern right here on FS1.
- [41:30]
Colin Cowherd
So we've been talking, because we're talking so much, Caleb Williams to start. It makes us hearken back to the two young quarterbacks last year that crushed Jaden Daniels, Washington, Bo Nixon, Denver. And I'm going to get to the story in a second, which I think is really fascinating about why you should spend money on coaching and why, why, why coaching in college and pro, you're always better off to just pay the money for a really elite, proven coach. But Bo Nix, as we talked about yesterday, is, it's really good. And because he's in Denver and not in the NFC east playing the Cowboys and the Giants and the Eagles, Bo Nix's season got a little bit lost. He had the most passing yards. He had the most passing touchdowns. He had the most completions. Last year in a division that had better defenses than the ones Jaden Daniels faced. Steve Spagnola in Kansas City, Jesse Miner in the Chargers defense was top one or two in the league. So he, he got a little overshadowed. And from week four until the end of the regular season, he had 28 touchdowns, nine picks and a passer rating over 100. And Sean Payton says in this camp he looks even better than last year. If you look at it, you got like these 12 seconds. You get to play the cadence, the snap count and then, you know, can mind the back. Hey, you might be the pr, you know, the little reminders. He's way much, I mean, he's light years further along. He's doing well. So there's another story today that I think is really important. Remember when the Chargers, you know, they were looking for a coach and I said just to solve all your problems at once, your defense is way better than it played again with Brandon Staley. Go spend the money on Jim harbaugh. Go spend 20 million on the staff. And they went and got Jim Harbaugh, and instantly the culture was different. And I. And I said the same thing with, you know, like. Like Denver either hire. Like they were going to hire John Harbaugh was getting talked about, or jam Harbaugh or Sean Payton. Just. There's certain things you should spend money on. Mattresses and head coaches. With both, you'll sleep better at night. But there's a great quote here about from Seth Wickersham about drafting Bo Nix when he drafted him. And it's. It says, I'll get criticized for taking bo nix at 12. Peyton told Wickersham, I don't give a blank three years from now is what I'm worried about. And because Peyton is going to make it into the hall of Fame as a coach, he can be more authentic and truer with his acquisitions and trades. Remember when Harbaugh got to the Chargers, everybody's screaming, you got to take a receiver. Harbaugh's like, nah, I'm going to take Joe Alt. Well, you already got a great left tackle, Rashawn Slater. Now I'm gonna take Joe. I'm gonna take a right tackle. Nobody questioned it. The locker room, the front office, the ownership galvanized. You trust Jim Young, coach. Oh, right tackle over, you know, whoever the great receiver is. This is classic. That's why you spend the money on a Jim Harbaugh or a John Harbaugh or an Andy Reid. And remember when Andy Reid goes to Kansas City, I mean, were there that many buyers on Alex Smith? You know, like, like. And he just kept sticking with Alex Smith, and he believed in Alex Smith. Well, if Andy does, I believe in him, too. And that's like with Aaron Glenn. We don't know if he's any good. He's a good coordinator. We don't know. And so not only do championships validate you with Peyton and Jim Harbaugh at college or pro, but I think when it comes to player acquisitions and draft picks, when you have the big name coach, it's easier to galvanize a locker room. It's easier to get the trust of the ownership. Like, I think, for instance, Kevin Stefanski is excellent, but I think Jimmy Haslam, I think a lot of times he's breathing down his neck, and I think Stefanski's great. So I think you're allowed to take bigger swings when you pay for the big coach. I think you're allowed to be truer and more authentic to what you really need. But just Sean Payton, who's got a healthy ego and confidence, acknowledging in this story, acknowledging, I'm going to get crap for this. Sean Payton saying, yeah, I'm going to have to endure this. I better be ready for it. It tells you the truth about the NFL, is that how the media reacts has always mattered. I've seen this before. When I used to work in Connecticut, I would listen to wfan, very popular New York radio station. There was no question that that radio station in its prime was absolutely listened to by baseball teams, football teams. There was no question. I can remember one time in particular, the Mets. Everybody was banging on the Mets. It's like, you got to make a move. The Yankees are making move. And they went and got an outfielder. I think it was Jason. Was it Jason Bay? I think it was. And he just didn't fit at the time. He didn't fit the Mets, it wasn't going to be the fit. But they're like, I mean, I thought it was like, oh, you're just influenced by this powerful, highly listened to, highly effective radio station. And I felt it all the time that the GM list, you know who, and I've been told this before, owners listen to sports talk radio and they read the columns. GMs are busy and often they don't, but the owners and the owner's friends do. So you get cultural buy in when you get a Sean Payton or you get a Jim Harbaugh and, and I, I think there's just certain things I would never go cheap on. Head coach mattress. You'll sleep better at night. All right. I, I also think, well, by the way, if you've missed this, this was from a couple days ago. And I know in a summer, in August, everybody's listening patterns are different on the show. I want to play this again because I played it yesterday and he was on two days ago, but I want to play this again. Sean Payton. And he had texted me and I'd been upfront with this. Sean really liked Bo Nix. He liked him a lot. And Sean and I had talked about it. I was surprised he took the Denver job. But I had said before, Peyton's taken Bo Nix. It. It is. I just. The what? The listening to Sean over dinner, the 20 interviews I did with him. I know what Sean likes and I knew what Bo Nicks delivered. It was a perfect fit. But Seth Wickersham came on the show and said beyond that there was a little secret sauce in why Sean Payton, like Bo Nix from Oregon. I sat down with Sean Payton and this was in March of 2024. Everybody knew that the Broncos were in the market for a quarterback. He opened a folder and there was all this data on the folder and Bo Nix was at the top of the list. And I was like, what is this? And Sean Payton had developed his own analytics formula to try to judge processing speed of college quarterbacks. And he started it back when he scouted Patrick Mahomes in 2017. And when he ran the 2024 quarterbacks through the formula, Bo Nix was by far the most efficient and it wasn't even close. And Caleb Williams, by the way, was one of the last ones of the first round. Of the guys who ended up going in the first round, I, I thought that was the bite of the week on our show that he had devised his own analytic formula. And for the record, Jimmy Johnson, remember Jimmy Johnson is the guy who developed his own draft chart. Like, what should we get if we make a trade? You can't just wing it. So Jimmy Johnson and teams still use it today, devised his own draft chart. I look at it often, like if I'm, if I'm trading for a third rounder, what do I got to give up? And teams kind of just ad libbed it until Jimmy Johnson created that chart. So, and again, it doesn't mean it's a perfect chart, but the things that matter to Sean Payton, like when you have 12 seconds on the clock and you've. And you've got to call an audible and move a running back over to chip block and you've got a rookie tight end and you got to make sure is a lot of stuff you're looking for. And I think through the years with Drew Brees, I think probably Sean has certain things that matter a lot to him in that final 11:12 seconds of the clock. The efficiency. And Mahomes was at the top of the chart. Drew Brees would have been and Bo Nix was. And that's why he drafts him. All right, J. Mac, Joe Thomas stopping by the. The. My lead today was there is. There is a rising chorus of people that think should do or Sanders starting Friday is low level sabotage by the Cleveland Browns.
- [50:43]
Devin McIntyre
I mean, listen, let's remember Tom Brady doesn't become Tom Brady if Drew Bledsoe doesn't get knocked the hell out by Mo Lewis of the New York jets and Brady goes in and the rest is history. Maybe Shador gets his chance in the preseason, crushes it and he secures the.
- [50:57]
Colin Cowherd
Number one job I will. Watch. Watch. I know that. Okay.
- [51:04]
Jason McIntyre
Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant, and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back.
- [51:12]
Colin Cowherd
And Degree listened. That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're.
- [51:16]
Jason McIntyre
Bringing back the original Cool Rush scent.
- [51:18]
Colin Cowherd
They're bringing it back and it's exactly.
- [51:20]
Jason McIntyre
How you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant.
- [51:25]
Colin Cowherd
And it's back in Walmart, Target and.
- [51:26]
Jason McIntyre
Other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about.
- [51:30]
Colin Cowherd
Head to your local Walmart or Target.
- [51:33]
Jason McIntyre
To try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.
- [51:36]
Colin Cowherd
Hi, it's Colin.
- [51:37]
Jason McIntyre
I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it.
- [51:39]
Colin Cowherd
Or in this case, when I taste it.
- [51:40]
Jason McIntyre
Tito's handmade vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmick.
- [51:44]
Colin Cowherd
Smooth, clean, tasting.
- [51:46]
Jason McIntyre
Made the right way. Tito's made in Austin, Texas. Real attention to detail.
- [51:51]
Colin Cowherd
I like to keep it simple.
- [51:52]
Jason McIntyre
Tito's soda, one lime, lot of ice. Refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works.
- [52:00]
Colin Cowherd
Listen, baseball season's here.
- [52:02]
Jason McIntyre
The perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should, too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor responsibly. Balancing work, family and education isn't easy. But American Public University makes it possible with online courses, monthly start dates, and flexible schedules. APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives. And Affordability matters, too. APU offers the Opportunity Grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking a bank. Plus, they provide career services and 24. 7 mental health support at no extra cost. Visit APU apus.edu to learn more. That's apu.apus. eDU Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org.
- [53:39]
Devin McIntyre
This is an iHeart podcast.